The Defense and Energy departments will team up on a pair of multimillion dollar research projects. The goal is to give the military access to secure, reliable renewable energy, both in deployed units and on military bases.

Several departments are out ahead of the OMB mandate to consolidate data facilities over the next four years. Energy is starting small to show business owners they will get the same level of service under the new setup. Other agencies see green in cutting back on the centers-both money and energy efficiency.

The America Competes Reauthorization Act authorizes the agency's programs and sets a path toward the future. President Obama signed the bill into law Tuesday. Several other science and technology agencies receive marching orders from lawmakers.

The Department of Energy has given out the largest ever awards of the Department's supercomputing time to 57 innovative research projects. Computer simulations will be used to perform virtual experiments that in most cases would be impossible or impractical.
Using two world-leading supercomputers with a computational capacity roughly equal to 135,000 laptops, officials say the research could, for example, help speed the development of more efficient solar cells, make improvements in the production of biofuels, or develop medications that can help slow the progression of certain diseases.
Selected projects were chosen for their potential to advance scientific discoveries, speed technological innovations, and strengthen industrial competitiveness.

Many agencies have reduced the time it takes to hire a new employee. DoD, Energy and VA are among the departments that have made the most progress over the last year. OPM Director John Berry said a full government-wide look will not be available until early 2011.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Energy (DOE) released the 2011 Fuel Economy Guide, providing consumers with information about estimated mileage and fuel costs for model year 2011 vehicles. EPA's Karl Simon joins us with details.

Juan Sepulveda, the executive director for the White House initiative on educational excellence for Hispanics, spoke with Federal News Radio's Jason Miller about the impact of the Executive Order on the Department of Education, as well as other agencies.

A smart electrical power grid could decrease annual electric energy use and utility sector carbon emissions at least 12 percent by 2030. We get details from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's Rob Pratt.